EVERYTHING BUT THE HOUSE & AN OFFICE MAKEOVER

A few months back, one of my favorite shopping sites, 

Everything But The House, reached out to me about working together.  

I have been buying from this online estate sale site for a couple of years now.  

So naturally, I jumped at the chance to partner with them.

They generously offered me a credit toward any item that was currently listed. 

I finally settled on these four Visual Comfort sconces. 

You can buy brand new ones here. 

I ended up paying less for all four than the price of one new sconce.

I do wish they were the Hand Rubbed Antique Brass finish.

Dare I break out the rub n' buff?  Maybe I'll do a little  test spot on the back to see how it looks.

As soon as I saw them, I began scheming an office/den makeover. 

Ever since I came across this image on Pinterest, I have become obsessed with this look. 

The gorgeous den designed by Meredith Heron is perfect in every way, 

right down to the sweet little dog pictured. 

House and Home

This is the current state of the office/den.

(Well, sort of, it's not nearly this neat right now and I have switched out the desk chair)

An electrician is coming tomorrow to take out the recessed lights and install three of the visual comfort sconces at the top of the built-ins, just below where the recessed lights are now.

Just for fun, here is what the office looked like just before we closed on the house. 

The cabinets are getting a coat of hi-gloss BM Lead Gray 

(the same color used in Merideth Heron's den).

The crown molding, baseboards, and window moldings are also getting a coat of lead gray.

The walls will get a flat finish of the same color. 

I am hoping to get rid of the "shutter doors" on the base cabinets 

and have something more simple made.

I have been on the hunt for a new rug for this space. 

Right now, I have a 5x8 rug in here.  I am looking for something a little larger.

The paint should be here tomorrow and I'll be getting started this weekend. 

I am looking forward to having some progress shots to show you next week. 

Be sure to check back tomorrow for a fun giveaway from Everything But The House.   

OUTDOOR LIGHT FROM LAMPS.COM

Over the summer, I was contacted by Lamps.com.  They offered me a choice between several lamps or a credit to their store. Knowing we were already over budget on our backyard makeover, 

I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to pick out a light for our back porch.

I ended up choosing this one.

I loved the simple lines, the seeded glass and the oil rubbed bronze color. 

It looks great up against the cedar plank ceiling

It is the perfect size for this space and the fact that it only has one light works well too.

Because the switch for this light is grouped together with several more, 

we were not able to add a dimmer to this light.  I like the light to be nice and soft.  

I added a 15 watt bulb and it gives off just the right amount of light at night.

Here are a few other options from Lamps.com that I was considering.

1/2/3/4/5

A big thanks to Lamps.com for supplying our outdoor light.

MY VERY OWN GOLDEN GLOBE

A few weeks ago, I popped into Goodwill on my way home from the gym.

I almost always head to the lamp aisle first.  I have a whole regular route to be quite honest.

But back to the lamps....My eyes immediately fell upon a beautiful golden globe lamp. 

Ha, you thought I won some big award, didn't you?  Hardly - I can't sing, I can't act, 

heck, I can't even snap my fingers properly.  Again, back to the lamp.....

How could I pass this up?  

You won't believe me when I tell you I only paid $10 for it.

IT'S TRUE, I promise. 

And I picked up the shade at my local grocery store for $12.99.

That's right, you can get a gallon of milk and the perfect drum shade at my Kroger. 

Here's the thing, in order to find great things at thrift shops, you have to go often. 

I never set out to go thrifting, I just quickly stop in a few of my favorite stores when I'm close by.  Rarely do I ever go out of my way to thrift. 

I am planning a post on thrifting for next week. 

Stay tuned.

Oh, and I prefer to call it treasure hunting, seems classier, don't you think?

Are you a treasure hunter?

MY LOVE FOR LIGHTING

I was looking through my I-phone pictures today and noticed that other than pictures 

of my kids and my dog, most of the other pictures I had taken were of lighting. 

First stop, Crate and Barrel.....

I liked this fixture, and even contemplated using it "The Nook".

I ended up being resourceful and using a light I already had.

Next stop, Tuesday Morning....

Tuesday Morning is beginning to be one of my regular stops when searching for lamps.

They have a great selection and their prices can't be beat.

 I loved the texture of this one...

Moving on, to Ballard Design Outlet.....

I tried to talk my friend into using this in her home.

No dice, but someone should snatch this up.

There happens to be a grungy old lighting store just a few miles from my house.

I pop in every now and then to see what they have. 

It's jammed pack full of antique and vintage lighting. 

I was drooling over these alabaster lamps. 

The store is a bit overwhelming.  

You can barely walk through there without stepping on or hitting your head on lighting.

It's like a treasure hunt - right up my alley! 

I got brave and ventured into the back room on my last visit. 

It was filthy and jammed pack with treasures, like this lantern. 

It is covered in black soot, but underneath is a beautiful brass finish. 

Last week, a friend and I took a little field trip to Palette Studio in Cincinnati. 

Their website does not do them justice. 

It was like being in lamp heaven.  

These emerald green lamps caught my attention right away.

So did the price tag, $459 each.  Yikes!  

That's a far cry from my $8 emerald green thrift store lamps.

You know I love thrifting for lamps, but I was tempted to let my entire family 

eat cereal for a month so these beauties could come home with me. 

Kidding, kind of. 

I snapped a picture of the lampshade storage room.

Gorgeous lampshades as far as the eye could see!

I came across another lovely lamp at Goodwill a few weeks back.  

I just can't leave a good lamp behind.

I'll show you tomorrow.

A SIMPLE SOLUTION

Somehow today got away from me.  

I promised to share my solution for lighting "The Nook" today and it's not midnight yet.

I know, you're probably expecting something magnificent, given how I hyped it up.

But it's pretty simple, I used one of the Restoration Hardware lanterns that I already owned. 

Two of them previously hung here over the table, when this area served as the dining room.

We took them down for a while, since I banged my head on them more times than I care to reveal.

When the electrician was here installing the light in the new dining room, 

I had had him move the box to the center of the room 

so the light could hang directly over the coffee table/trunk. 

It was an simple and almost free solution (we did have to pay the electrician).  

I love how the clear glass of the lantern lets in all the natural light from the window.

This big blank wall won't be blank for much longer.  

I've been talking about the barn door idea forever now, 

but I am just about ready to stop talking and start doing.

I need to plan a party to give myself a deadline. 

I turn 40 in two years.  That should give me enough time. 

Kidding, not about turning 40, but about taking two years to get this done. 

I don't think I have anywhere else I can use the other lantern so I may be selling it.

Let me know if you or someone you know might be interested in buying it. 

You can contact me here. 

MUSICAL LIGHTS

I've been putting off a few projects around our house for a while.  

I blame my decorating ADD.

Ever since "The Nook" was created, we have had a bit of a lighting issue.

The two lanterns that used to hang over the dining room table had to be taken down.

I originally thought I would have them moved to the new dining room.

And I contemplated ordering this light for "The Nook".

I changed my mind, imagine that.  

A couple of weeks ago, on a whim, I ordered this light from Restoration Hardware.

It was a final sale item, which means it cannot be returned. 

The good news, I got it for a great price.  

The bad news, it was costly to ship. 

There was no way around the shipping cost.  

I called the local store and they do not carry this light.

They do carry the metal version (not on sale) and 

the sales woman invited me to stop in to view the size in person.

Since I was pretty darn comfortable shopping from my couch that afternoon, I politely declined.  

I proceed to tell her that I see the dimensions on-line and I have a tape measure. 

I promptly hit "Confirm Order" on the screen and there was turning back.

A tad daring for me, but thrilling nonetheless.

Last week, the freight company showed up to deliver the light.

I saw the box and thought for sure they had mistakenly delivered a sofa.

I wish I had taken a picture of the box.  

It was HUGE!

Then I thought, well, it's packed in there well and I'm sure it's not that large.

I asked them to take it out of the box for me. 

Yep, it was HUGE!

I then persuaded my husband to hold it up over the coffee table/trunk in "The Nook" 

to confirm my suspicions.  Yep, it was too big!

I also called over two trusted girlfriends to give me their opinions.

We all agreed, too big for that space!  

But wait, I paid almost as much as the light cost to have to darn thing shipped, 

and it was not returnable. 

I was determined to make this work.

Suddenly, it came to me. 

Why not hang the amazing HUGE light over the dining room table.

Ah yes!  What a brilliant plan.

And guess what, it looks better there anyway.

Problem solved.

But wait, what about "The Nook"?

Have no fear, two problems were solved this day.

I'll show you my solution tomorrow. 

I'd like to say that I'm just trying to keep you on the edge of your seat, 

but in reality, I'm just really exhausted. 

It's been a LOOOOONNNNNGG DAY!

And it's only Tuesday.   

NEW READING LIGHTS

A few months ago, we had a little incident at our house.

It went something like this...

Son #2:  Uh mom, something happened to the lamp in our room.

Me:  What happened?

Son #1:  Uh, we don't know, but one of the lamps in our room doesn't look right.

Me:  Did you break it?

Son #2:  I didn't do it?

Son #1:  I didn't do it either!

Me:  Well, then who did it? 

Both Sons:  Uh, we were just playing football in our room 

and the ball kind of flew across the room and hit the lamp and now the lamp looks weird.

Me:  You mean, you broke it?

Both Sons:  Silence.

Unfortunately, that kind of thing happens often around here. 

Probably the reason I don't buy expensive things.

Ever since the mystifying lamp incident, the reading light in my boys' room has been less than stellar. 

I made a trip to the Ballard Outlet last week, where I scored these amazing ottomans for a client.

I also came home with two of these sconces.

It was the doorbuster deal of the day, so I got them for $29.99 each.

I switched out the shades for some Target drum shades. 

In case you haven't noticed, my puppy, Willee, likes to be photographed.  

He literally follows me everywhere, and I mean everywhere.  

I don't mind, I kind of like having a little sidekick.

The new sconces provide just the right amount of light for reading.  

My little guy is in kindergarten and is just learning to read. 

I love snuggling with him in bed listening to him sound out words.

To make the cords a little less conspicuous, 

I used these little cord hooks to hide them next to the window frame.  

The hooks are hidden behind the curtains.

Wonder how long it will be before a football/baseball/basketball accidentally flies into 

these sconces and makes them look weird?

Good thing they were only $29.99!

This room has come a long way since winning the Ugly Carpet Contest. 

You can read all about it here, here, here, here, here, and here.

Sharing with:

Emily A. Clark

LIGHTING THE WAY

Since we recently converted the dining room to "The Nook", and removed the two glass lanterns that used to hang over the dining table, I haven't been thrilled with the lighting situation in this space.

I first thought adding pendant lighting over the island might be the answer, 

but after three years of cooking, entertaining and living in this kitchen, 

we have all gotten used to not having something hanging over our heads.

Not to mention, baseballs, footballs and basketballs fly through this room on a daily basis. 

I would be setting myself up for disaster by adding something breakable right smack dab 

in the middle of our most used space in the house.

It is quite the miracle that those three plates you see hanging on the wall are still hanging there.

There have certainly been some close calls, but somehow, they have survived.

Ruling out pendant lighting over the island, leads me to this area, "The Nook".

Seems like the perfect spot to add some light, not to mention, a little interest.

Here are a few fixtures I've been eyeing.......

The Brentwood Pendant from West Elm

The Turning Pendant, also from West Elm.

We will only be hanging one light here.

Therefore, the electrical box will have to moved to the center of the room,

and the two existing ones, taken out.  

Since some drywall repair work will be needed and the ceiling will have to re-painted, 

I think I might add some color up there (just in the Nook).

Nothing drastic, just a hint of color.

One thing always leads to another, doesn't it.  

I hope to make some decisions and get started on this project very soon.

I will keep you posted, of course. 

MORE LAMP LUCK

It just so happens that one of my favorite little thrift stores happens to be right next to my gym.  

One day in late December, as I was leaving the gym, minding my own business, 

I spotted something beautiful out of the corner of my eye. 

I promptly stopped, mid-step, turned around, and a bee lined it inside.

This lovely emerald green vintage lamp greeted me once I made my way inside.

Wait, it gets better.....there were two of them - $8.00 each!

You know I can't pass up a pair (of anything).

There is something about vintage lamps that makes my heart go pitter patter. 

I only had one lamp shade in my stash that would work.

For now, the other lamp is residing in the basement with a plethora of other lamps.

Don't call Hoarders on me yet, I have plans for most of them.

We often use this buffet to serve drinks when entertaining.

It helps lure people from the kitchen into the dining room.

Here is a look at a few of my other thrifted lamps.

I never go purposely go looking for lamps for my home, but I do seem to happen upon them often.

From the looks of my basement, I may never need to buy another lamp, EVER!

Alright, come clean, what are you hoarding in your basement.